Plating-machine.



S. G. CATLIN.

l PLATING MACHINE.

AlfPLIoATIoN FILED SEPT. 19, 1911.

Petented Julie 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. C. CATLIN.

PLATIN G MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED sEPT.19, 1911.

1,030,053, Patented June 18, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

C0 INVENTOI? 7a d 'ad @am CULUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co..wASHxNu1'oN. D. c.

SETH C. CATLIN, OF IBLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PLATINGr-MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, SETE C. CATLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plating-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to ligures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a plating machine, and embodies a machine of a wellknown type which is provided with rotating baskets, these baskets containing the material to be plated, and revolving to cause the material to be kept in motion so as to insure its complete plating.

The invention is designed to provide a plating machine of this type which insures the passage of the liquid in the tank of the machine to the inside of the basket.

I provide a plating machine of this type in which a basket is provided with panels which are preferably made of fabric which are adapted to be slid longitudinally from or into the basket to provide the sides of the basket, this construction providing for a quick assembling or separation of the basket, providing for an easily cleaned basket, and provides sides for the basket, which sides are easily penetrated by the liquid in the tank.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a plating machine which is provided with a drain-tray which is removably placed on the top of the tank, the tray having a bottom provided with a strainer so that when small articles are being plated, the basket can be placed on bearings with which the drain-tray is provided, can be drained, and if it is desired to facilitate matters it can be dumped on the drain-tray and the material allowed to drain therefrom, and the basket in the meantime re- Dlaced in the tank to receive another quantity` of material for plating.

The invention provides also for a basket in which the panels are placed between strips, these strips in turn being perforated for the passage of liquid used in the tank of the machine, land also having strips which are provided with straining strips to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 19, 1911.

Patented J une 18, 1912. Serial No. 650,111.

prevent the clogging of the holes by articles when the articles being plated are very small.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a section of the tank of the improved plating machine with the basket shown in elevation, and with the drain-tray mounted on the top above one of the baskets. Fig. 2 is an end view of the drain-tray and a basket, these elements being broken away at one end to better illustrate their construction. Fig. 3 is a section of one of the longitudinal strips of t-he basket with the straining strip inserted therein. Fig. 4L is a perspective View of part of one end of the basket made in an enlarged shape to clearly illustrate the construction of the basket, both as to the fastening means of the cover, and the insertion and fastening of the panel in the basket.

I have not illustrated in the drawings in this case any anode electrodes or cathode electrodes, nor illustrated any of the electrical currents employed, since this is a machine for electro-plating, nor have I illustrated any particular means for rotating the baskets, since I may employ any of the wellknown methods for bringing about this rotation of the baskets, and to prevent needless description I have not incorporated in the case any of these parts.

I prefer to use the electrodes and also the method of operating the machine illustrated and described in my patent plating machine, patented July 28, 1908, N o. 894,482.

The invention comprises a tank l0. I have illustrated the tank divided by a partition 1l into two compartments 12 which are adapted to hold the liquid used in the plating. The baskets 13 are rotatably mounted on suitable spindles or shafts 14 so as to be rotatably suspended in the tank, and by being turned continuously in one direction, or reciprocated in a circular manner, submit the contents of the baskets to the liquid in the tank. The baskets can be lifted from the tank in any of the well-known ways, either by a pulley and a rope, or they can be lifted, in the case of small machines, directly from the tank by hand. The emptying of the baskets in this type of machine is always a wet and uncomfortable process, and to overcome this I have devised the drain-tray l5 which has its sides arranged to be placed on the tank and suspended thereabove.\ The drain-tray has an inclined bottom 16, the illustration showing the bottom inclined toward the center, the lower portion of the bottom being provided with a strainer 17 preferably made of a strip of perforated material, although fabric can be used, but I prefer to use perforated Celluloid. On each end of the drain-tray is a handle 1S which is 'fastened by the plates 19 to 'the ends of the drain-tray and is provided with the bearings 20 into which the baskets 13 can be placed and rotatably suspended. hen a basket is lifted from the tank, the draintra-y is putin place and the basket is then deposited in the bearings 2O and can be left to drain in that position whereby the liquid is returned through the strainer 17 to the tank and an economy of liquid is the relsult. If it is desired to facilitate the draining of the material the cover of the basket can be removed and the basket turned so as to dump its contents on the bottom of the drain-tray, and the basket is then free to be used and the drain-tray can be left to hold the material and slowly drain it.

This device provides for a clean and dry method of unloading the baskets after the material in the baskets has been plated, and provides also for a device of this kind which can be easily installed and when not in use, can be lifted from the tank and set or hung up to one side so as to be out of the way.

The basket consists of end-plates 21, these end-plates being connected by longitudinal strips 22. The longitudinal strips connect the end-plates and form the frame of the basket. The strips 22 can be provided with perforations 23, which perforations allow the passage of liquid to and from the basket when the basket is being rotated in t-he tank. In the case of very small articles being plated which might jam into the holes 23 and clog them, and also delay the emptying of the basket when the articles are to be removed therefrom, I provide a modified form of strip shown in Fig. 3, this strip 24 being similar to the strip 22 and having the perforations 25 similar to the perforations 23, but being provided with a strainer strip 26 which has small perforations 27, these small perforations preventing the access to the perforations 25 of any small articles being plated in the basket. rIhe strip 26 is preferably made to slide longitudinally from the strip 24 by being mounted in grooves 28 as will be clearly seen from Fig. 3. These longitudinal strips are provided with slots 29, the slots 29 having their inside portions 30 enlarged so as to make the outside edges of the grooves the narrowest portion thereof. These slots are disposed in the strips so as to be in register with the edge 31 of the end-plate, as will be seen more particularly in Fig. 4.

Panels 32 are provided for the basket,

these panels having enlarged edges 33 so that the enlarged edges 33 of the panels will slide in the portion 30 of the grooves, and the main portion of the panels slides in the narrow portion 29 of the grooves so as to prevent lateral removal of the panels from the strips and insuring their removal and insertion longitudinally or from the end of the basket. These panels are made so as to permit the passage of liquor to and from the basket, being preferably made of fabric such as cotton duck, and the enlarged ends are preferably made by wrapping the edges of the panels 32 over a stiff cord or wire 34.

Vhen the panels are inserted, as the upper panel is in Fig. 4, they are Hush with the edges 31 of the end-plate and are fastened down to the end-plate and insured against accidental removal by a block 35, these ing preferably the screws 36 which pass through the panel and into the end-plate to fasten the parts together. When the panel is to be removed the blocks 35 at their two ends are released by having their screws 36 unscrewed, and then the panel can be slid from the end of the basket.

Toy further insure the passage of liquid to the interior of the basket I may perforate the end-plate and provide these perforations with suitable pervious material as sho-wn at 37 in Fig. 1. The cover 39 of the basket is illustrated in Fig. 4 more clearly than in the other gures, and is adapted to be placed between a pair of the longitudinal strips 22 and is to t-ake the place of one of the panels. The cover has a lip 40 (Fig. 2) which fits under a clip 41 on the end-plate 21, and the other end of the basket has a sliding bolt 42 which slides under a cleat 43 and is normally pressed forward by a spring 44 which has one strand bearing against a stud 45 onl the bolt 42, and its other strand 46 secured under a rabbet 47 in the cleat 43. The bolt 42 (can be slid back 'manually when the cover is to be removed or put in place. Vhen the cover is in place and the bolt is released, the spring, by pressing on the stud, forces the bolt. underneath the edges of the latch-piece 48 and the cover is thus securely held in position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a plating machine comprising a tank, a basket rotatably arranged in the tank, with a drain-tray supthe tank, said basket being removable, with a drain-tray removably supported on the tank, the tray having a strainer in its bottom, and handles on the tray, the handles providing bearings for rotatably supporting the basket thereon to drain it and permit the dumping of its contents.

3. The combination of a plating machine comprising a tank, a removable rotatable 'basket in the tank, with a drain-tray above the tank, the tray having an inclined bot* tom, a strainer in the bottom, and bearings to ro-tatably support the basket above the bottom of the tray whereby the basket can be drained and dumped.

4:. The combination of a plating machine comprising a tank, a rotatable basket removably supported in the tank, with a drain-tray adapted to rest on the tank, the drain-tray having an inclined bottom, a perforated strip at the lowest point of the bottom, and handles on the tray, the handles having bearing portions to rotatably support the basket whereby the basket can be drained and dumped.

5. In a plating machine, a basket having openings in its sides, the basket and the side walls of the openings being provided with grooves wider on their inside portions, fabric panels having stiiifened and enlarged edges, said stiffened and enlarged edges being adapted to fit the grooves of the basket, and means for securing the panels in the grooves 6. In a plat-ing machine, a basket having end-plates, longitudinal strips connecting the end-plates, the longitudinal strips having grooves in their edges, fabric panels having edges to fit the grooves, and blocks adapted to be set between the strips and on the end panels over the end-plate to secure the panels against movement between the strips.

7. In a plating machine, a basket having end-plates, longitudinal strips :connecting the end-plates, the longitudinal strips having grooves in their edges, fabric panels having edges to lit the grooves, blocks arranged between the longitudinal strips, the blocks resting on the panels above the end strips, and screws passing through the blocks and the panels into the end-strip to fasten the parts together.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of September 1911.

SETH C. CATLIN. Vitnesses:

EMMA F. CATLIN, M. LOUISE CATLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

